Monday, September 30, 2013

Happy Monday everyone! Before you get too nervous about the title of
our challenge this week, I'd like to explain what "El Dia de los
Muertos" means. In Mexico, this holiday takes place on the first and
second of November. People take two days out of the year in order to
pay their respect to their dead family members and friends. During this
celebration, skulls and altars are made, food is placed on graves, and
families and friends celebrate the lives of departed children and
adults. You can get more information here.

I
chose this topic for our challenge for a couple of reasons. The first
is that Halloween is approaching and lots of people enjoy celebrating
it. The Day of the Dead falls immediately after Halloween and has a
seemingly spooky feel to it for some of us. The other reason is that we
all have loved ones that were dear to us who have passed away. It
seems like such a joyous thing to take a day or two each year to
celebrate their lives.

I
really hope that you'll create something this week as a response to El
Dia de los Muertos. Whether it's the holiday itself, the Halloween-like
feel of the skeletons, or the bright colors that inspire you, I'm
looking forward to seeing your creations. Have a wonderful week!
Lou Anne

Monday, September 23, 2013

Fall is officially here as it says in the US calendarsJoin us this week!Directions are on the right side bar!

Autumn in the Garden by Henry Van Dyke

When the frosty kiss of Autumn in the darkMakes its markOn the flowers, and the misty morning grievesOver fallen leaves;Then my olden garden, where the golden soilThrough the toilOf a hundred years is mellow, rich, and deep,Whispers in its sleep.

'Mid the crumpled beds of marigold and phlox,Where the boxBorders with its glossy green the ancient walks,There's a voice that talksOf the human hopes that bloomed and withered hereYear by year,--Dreams of joy, that brightened all the labouring hours,Fading as the flowers.

Yet the whispered story does not deepen grief;But reliefFor the loneliness of sorrow seems to flowFrom the Long-Ago,When I think of other lives that learned, like mine,To resign,And remember that the sadness of the fallComes alike to all.

What regrets, what longings for the lost were theirs!And what prayersFor the silent strength that nerves us to endureThings we cannot cure!Pacing up and down the garden where they paced,I have tracedAll their well-worn paths of patience, till I findComfort in my mind.

Faint and far away their ancient griefs appear:Yet how nearIs the tender voice, the careworn, kindly face,Of the human race!Let us walk together in the garden, dearest heart,Not apart!They who know the sorrows other lives have knownNever walk alone.

Monday, September 9, 2013

These days, it's easy for us to take pictures with our
digital cameras. Many people simply pull out their cellular phones to
snap a photo. Our lives can appear on social media sites in the blink
of an eye. But it wasn't always that easy.

In the early days of photography, people had to pay a professional photographer in order to have their portraits made. Sitting for a portrait required patience on the part of the model and the backgrounds were artificially created.

In 1885, a man named George Eastman figured out a way to make photography accessible to the general public. You can read about the history of his company, Kodak, here. In 1888, the first Kodak camera was put on the market. Their slogan was "You push the button, we do the rest" and snapshot photography was born. Snapshots were described as a "photograph that is 'shot' spontaneously and quickly, most often without artistic or journalistic intent," according to Wikipedia. Those early cameras were preloaded with film, sold to a customer to take pictures, then mailed back to Kodak for film removal and developing. That was because the film had to be unloaded in a darkroom.

The first daylight loading camera was came out in 1891. It allowed the consumer to use roll film and to load and unload the camera by himself. It's hard to imagine, in this age of digital photography, only being able to take a few pictures per roll of film. By 1902, amateurs could develop their own film. You can see a timeline for Kodak here that details the development of other film related products, such as x-ray film and motion picture film.

Kodak recently celebrated their 125th anniversary so this challenge is designed to celebrate the snapshot, often referred to as a "Kodak Moment." The Urban Dictionary describes a Kodak Moment as "a rare, one time, moment that is captured by a picture, or should have been captured by a picture."

My challenge to you is to create an artistic piece that captures your idea of a "Kodak Moment." It can be a photograph, but it doesn't have to be. You might want to incorporate a photgraph into your piece, but this challenge doesn't require photography of any kind. I always love seeing what your imaginations come up with. Please post your entries no later than noon EST next Sunday, September 15. Thanks for playing this week!